US 12,213,880 B2
Expandable sheath and methods of using the same
Thanh Huy Le, Oceanside, CA (US); Tung T. Le, Costa Mesa, CA (US); Sovanpheap Mak, Santa Ana, CA (US); Alpana Kiran Gowdar, Irvine, CA (US); Richard D. White, Costa Mesa, CA (US); and Sonny Tran, Westminster, CA (US)
Assigned to EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION, Irvine, CA (US)
Filed by EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION, Irvine, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 9, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/437,821.
Application 18/437,821 is a continuation of application No. 16/865,656, filed on May 4, 2020, granted, now 11,931,259.
Application 16/865,656 is a continuation of application No. 16/010,744, filed on Jun. 18, 2018, granted, now 10,639,152, issued on May 5, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/522,986, filed on Jun. 21, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2024/0180700 A1, Jun. 6, 2024
Int. Cl. A61F 2/24 (2006.01); A61M 25/00 (2006.01); A61M 39/06 (2006.01); B29C 65/00 (2006.01); B29D 23/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 2/2436 (2013.01) [A61M 25/0009 (2013.01); B29C 65/00 (2013.01); B29D 23/00 (2013.01); A61F 2250/0003 (2013.01); A61F 2250/0098 (2013.01); A61M 39/06 (2013.01); A61M 2039/0626 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An expandable sheath comprising:
an elongated inner member movable between an unexpanded and an expanded configuration, the inner member including a first circumferential portion including first and second longitudinal edges, where in the unexpanded configuration the first and second longitudinal edges overlap, and movement of the inner member toward the unexpanded configuration reduces the circumferential overlap of the first and second longitudinal edges;
wherein the inner member includes a distal tip, the distal tip including a flap comprising:
a free edge formed by an axial slit extending proximally along a length of the inner member axially from a distal end of the inner member; and
a circumferential proximal edge formed by a circumferential slit extending around a portion of the inner member,
wherein the distal tip is movable between an unexpanded and an expanded configuration such that in the unexpanded configuration the flap extends circumferentially around and overlaps an adjacent portion of the inner member, and movement of the distal tip toward the unexpanded configuration moves the flap into a less overlapping configuration.